China Issues Threat After Philippine Activists Resupply The Sierra Madre In The South China Sea

A Philippine Navy marine from the Sierra Madre flashes the peace symbol while wearing a Kalayaan Atin Ito activist t-shirt. Another marine watches as his boat is loaded with goods from the activists, who visited the Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal on June 29, 2016. Photo from a video courtesy of Kalayaan Atin Ito.

A Philippine activist group, Kalayaan Atin Ito (KAI), made theirthird “patriotic voyage” in the South China Sea in less than a year – this time on a resupply protest to a former U.S. naval vessel, the Sierra Madre. The Sierra Madre is now in active service with the Philippine Navy, and purposefully marooned on Ayungin Shoal (also known as Second Thomas Shoal, Reed Bank, Bãi Cỏ Mây, Jen-ai' Chiao, Ren'ai Reef, and 仁爱礁). 12 KAI activists skirted Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ships to arrive at the shoal on June 29. Two days after the protest, China threatened to tow the Sierra Madre in response to the upcoming Philippine legal case against China at the Hague.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague announced that it will decide the case on July 12. The Sierra Madre could be an important fact on the ground in support of a Philippine claim on the shoal, and to keep the shoal from getting dredged and built upon by China. China dredged and built artificial islands with military air strips on other shoals in the South China Sea starting in 2014.

The Philippines claims a 200-mile exclusive economic zone per the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). China disputes the Philippine claim based on a 1946 map with a 9-dash line. Yet in the 1940s, China only claimed the islands within the 9-dash line, not the high seas.

Chinese vessels, including one large Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) cutter (bow number 3307), and at least two civilian boats, are pressuring the Philippine sailors of the Sierra Madre to abandon ship. The Cutter set its course to intercept the activists on the Alexander, a 25-foot banca boat (wooden fishing vessel with two outriggers and an outboard motor) on their way to resupply the marines. The Chinese cutter blew its horns as it approached, and made a menacingly close pass to about 50 meters.

Kalayaan is the Filipino name for the Spratly Islands. The name of the activist group translates as, “Kalayaan is ours.” They claim that the civilian leadership of the Aquino government did not do enough to maintain the structural integrity of the Sierra Madre, and to resupply the dozen or so marines stationed there. The Philippines purposely sailed the Sierra Madre, built in 1944, aground onto the shoal in 1999, in response to China’s occupation of Mischief Reef in 1994. The lack of resupply and maintenance disadvantages the Philippine marines, according to activists. The marines could be forced to leave the Sierra Madre as it becomes even less safe for habitation. Attempts to reach the current and former press secretaries of the Philippines were unanswered.

The Chinese civilian vessels photographed by activists near Ayungin Shoal do not look like fishing vessels, and activists claim they carry Chinese divers. Activists say that the rear of the Chinese civilian boats do not contain normal fishing gear, such as large piles of nets prominently visible on normal fishing boats. China has developed, as early as 2004, a strategy of an armed civilian “maritime militia”. As an armed force not strictly under military control, it will likely be highly dangerous to sailors, activists, and non-Chinese fishermen in the region.

According to KAI activists, Chinese fishermen are using cyanide for fishing near Ayungin Shoal, which kills the coral. Activists provided me with video and photographs of the coral, which appears white and lifeless. Additional photographs provided by the activists illustrate that the Sierra Madre continues to rust and deteriorate, with gaping holes clearly visible near the waterline. According to activists, the graffiti-festooned ship only stands because of occasional steel and concrete reinforcement smuggled past the Chinese Coast Guard on small boats by the marines. A former U.S. official confirmed to me that the Chinese have in the past blocked Philippine attempts to resupply the Sierra Madre.

China issued a veiled threat against the Sierra Madre two days after the Sierra Madre protest by KAI. A spokesman from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wu Qian, spoke to a reporter from the People’s Daily, China’s official party newspaper. The paper linked potential towing of the Sierra Madre by China to the outcome of the PCA case to be decided on July 12. According to the People’s Daily article,

During the conference, Wu was asked by a reporter that [sic] the People's Daily, official newspaper of the CPC, published a commentary Monday which said that China has the ability to tow away the old warship of the Philippines from the Ren'ai Reef. Will the PLA take the actions after the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) issues the award on July 12 on the South China Sea case?

According to the People’s Daily, Mr. Wu replied “that China has indisputable sovereignty of China's Nansha Islands and their adjacent waters, which [sic] the Ren'ai Reef [Ayungin Shoal] is included. The PLA has the determination and ability to safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country.”

Distressed coral, and a single blue fish, on Ayungin Shoal in the South China Sea, 29 June 2016. Photo from a still video courtesy of Kalayaan Atin Ito.

Ayungin Shoal is only 105 nautical miles from Palawan, Philippines, well-within the Philippines’ 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone. However, it is also within China’s claimed 9-dash line. China has stated that it intends to disregard the PCA ruling on features in the South China Sea. Ayungin is 622 nautical miles from China’s closest point to the shoal, which is located on Hainan Island.

KAI formed Sea Access For International Law (SAIL) in 2016 to help organize international volunteers. Both organizations now boast a combined 10,000 supporters, including about 20 full-time volunteers. Most members are in the Philippines, where Nicanor Faeldon started the group in 2006 by lecturing at universities in all 81 provinces. But SAIL now also includes members in the U.S., U.K., Japan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei. I’m a SAIL supporter, giving me access to photographs and informal interviews with KAI activists. Both groups support a boycott of Chinese consumer goods that has half-a-dozen organizational sponsors.

KAI activists arrived on Palawan on two flights from Manila on June 23 and June 24. The first attempt to sail to Ayungin on June 26 failed due to high waves. Activists returned to Palawan and waited two days for better weather. While waiting, activists slept on The Alexander about 20 yards from the shore. In an emailed comment from Vera Joy Ban-eg, the leader of KAI, she explained the trip once the weather cleared. “We sailed to Ayungin Shoal [on] June 28 at 2.30pm and reached Ayungin at 9.30am [on] June 29, 2016.” The grueling overnight trip on the small fishing boat took 19 hours.

Activists remained at the shoal for several hours, provided food, drinks, a live goat, activist t-shirts, and other supplies to the marines, took photos and video, swam, sang the national anthem on the Sierra Madre with the marines, and then returned to Palawan. In addition to Ms. Ban-eg, the following Philippine activists took part in the protest: Sigrid Dickerson, Jeremiah Dickerson, Andrei Villato, Loubert Grace Carreon, Joart Marzal, Vivien Leal, Ansgar Niño, Francis de Gracias, Lourd Wyrlou Medina, and Jessa Matugas. The Australian photojournalist Benjamin Bohane joined the voyage on assignment from ABC Australia.